BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260603T183738EDT-1624UVcw9o@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20260603T223738Z DESCRIPTION:\nSupported by the generosity of the Killam Trusts\, The Neuro' s Killam Seminar Series invites outstanding guest speakers whose research is of interest to the scientific community at The Neuro and McGill Univers ity.\n\n\nRegister Now\n\nTo watch online\, click here\n\nHost: Justine Cl ery\n\n\nExploring Social Cognition: Prefrontal Mechanisms for Group Behav ior and Theory of Mind\n\nAbstract: As a social species\, our behavior aff ects both individual and collective fitness. For example\, by reciprocatin g an action. Furthermore\, our ability to predict and make sense of other’ s actions\, or Theory of Mind\, plays a fundamental role in our social int eractions. Despite the importance of group behavior and theory of mind to individual fitness\, the neuronal mechanisms underlying these cognitive pr ocesses remain elusive. To start addressing this gap\, we designed a serie s of tasks in different species to explore some of the processes underlyin g social interactions while simultaneously recording single neuronal activ ity from the prefrontal cortex. In macaques\, we devised a group task in w hich each of three monkeys seated around a turntable chose one of the othe r monkeys to receive a food reward. We discovered that monkeys tend to rec iprocate\, suggesting that they keep track of other’s prior choices and re wards. In humans\, we studied neuronal activity in the PFC during the cano nical false belief task\, in which we asked subjects to reason about other s' perspective. We found a rich representation of social dynamics in the P FC across both species. In monkeys\, distinct subpopulations of dmPFC neur ons reflected both the actor and reward recipient's identity in the curren t and previous trial. Moreover\, decoding neuronal activity can predict th e animal’s upcoming decisions\, and manipulating neuronal activity using e lectrical stimulation can alter them. Finally\, we identified single neuro ns in the human dmPFC that encode information about others’ beliefs\, dist inguish between self and other-beliefs\, and predict whether these beliefs are true or false – collectively representing the first description of in dividual neurons encoding human theory of mind. These studies highlight th e role of the PFC in a wide array of social behaviors. Our unique multi-sp ecies approach harnesses the distinct advantages of each animal model to i nterrogate aspects of prefrontal mechanisms of social cognition. These inv estigations lay the groundwork for enhancing our understanding of the neur onal mechanisms of social behaviors.\n\nRaymundo Baez-Mendoza\n\nGroup Lea der at the German Primate Center\, Germany\n\nRaymundo Baez- Mendoza was b orn in Mexico City\, and as a child he had wanted to play soccer\, but ins tead discovered that he liked psychology better. He studied psychology at UNAM\, where\, through a group of friends\, he got involved in scientific research\, first at the National Institute of Psychiatry and later at CINV ESTAV. Dr. Baez- Mendoza had the opportunity to go to Germany to pursue a master’s degree in neuroscience. That’s where his interest in the neural b asis of social interactions began\, working under the guidance of Kari Hof fman—now at Vanderbilt. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Cambri dge with Wolfram Schultz\, where he developed a methodology to study socia l interactions in rhesus monkeys. He then did a postdoc in Ziv Williams’s lab at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston\, USA\, where he began stu dying the neural basis of social interactions in mice\, primates\, and hum ans. In 2022\, He launched my independent research group at the German Pri mate Center.\n DTSTART:20260428T200000Z DTEND:20260428T210000Z LOCATION:de Grandpre Communications Centre\, The Neuro\, Montreal Neurologi cal Institute\, CA\, QC\, Montreal\, H3A 2B4\, 3801 rue University SUMMARY:Killam Seminar Series: Exploring Social Cognition: Prefrontal Mecha nisms for Group Behavior and Theory of Mind URL:https://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/channels/event/killam-seminar-series-explor ing-social-cognition-prefrontal-mechanisms-group-behavior-and-theory-37200 0 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR